Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate of Texas
Seal of the lieutenant governor
Incumbent
Dan Patrick
since January 20, 2015
StyleThe Honorable
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Inaugural holderAlbert Clinton Horton
1846
FormationTexas Constitution
WebsiteOffice of the Lieutenant Governor

The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the Legislative Budget Board.

Under the provisions of the Texas Constitution, the lieutenant governor is president of the Texas Senate. Unlike with most other states' senates and the U.S. Senate, the lieutenant governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegating this function to the president pro tempore or a majority leader. By the rules of the Senate, the lieutenant governor establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice. The lieutenant governor decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate. The lieutenant governor also has broad discretion in following Senate procedural rules.

The lieutenant governor is an ex officio member of several statutory bodies. These include the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Council, the Legislative Audit Committee, the Legislative Board and Legislative Council, which have considerable sway over state programs, the budget and policy. The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board (together with the speaker of the House, attorney general, comptroller, and land commissioner), which is charged with adopting a redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial census if the Legislature fails to do so.

In the case of a vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office, the Senate elects one of its members to act as President of the Senate until the next statewide office election, in effect becoming the lieutenant governor. A senator elected as presiding officer in this way retains their district seat and the voting privileges entailed with his Senate election. The lieutenant governor is sworn in on the third Tuesday every four years, the same as the governor.

Dan Patrick has been the lieutenant governor of Texas since January 20, 2015.

The term of office was two years from 1846 to 1972. Voters then increased it to four years, effective for the 1974 election.[1]

The lieutenant governor assumes the powers of the governor of Texas when the governor is out of the state or otherwise unable to discharge the office. The lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor, rather than on the same ticket; it is therefore possible for the governor and lieutenant governor to be from different political parties (which was the case during Governor George W. Bush's first term and also during Bill Clements's two non-consecutive terms). The lieutenant governor becomes the governor if the elected governor resigns, dies or is removed from office via impeachment and conviction. Former governor Rick Perry took office upon George W. Bush's resignation on December 21, 2000, ahead of Bush becoming U.S. president. When Perry became lieutenant governor on 19 January 1999, he became the first Republican since Albert Jennings Fountain in 1873 to serve as lieutenant governor, and the first Republican to be elected as lieutenant governor since James W. Flanagan in 1869.

Compared to other lieutenant governors

Texas is one of the few states that vests significant power in the office of lieutenant governor, making it among the most influential. By contrast, the lieutenant governor position in other states has few (if any) legislative responsibilities, akin to the vice president of the United States.

Lieutenant governors of Texas

Parties

  Democrat (38 lieutenant governors)   Republican (5 lieutenant governors)

No. Image Lieutenant Governor Years in office Governor(s) served under Party
1 Albert Clinton Horton[lower-alpha 1] May 2, 1846 – December 21, 1847 James Pinckney Henderson Democratic
2 John Alexander Greer December 21, 1847 – December 22, 1851 George Tyler Wood
Peter Hansborough Bell		 Democratic
3 James W. Henderson[lower-alpha 2] December 22, 1851 – November 23, 1853 Peter Hansborough Bell Democratic
4 David Catchings Dickson December 21, 1853 – December 21, 1855 Elisha M. Pease Democratic
5 Hardin Richard Runnels December 21, 1855 – December 21, 1857 Elisha M. Pease Democratic
6 Francis Lubbock December 21, 1857 – December 21, 1859 Hardin Richard Runnels Democratic
7 Edward Clark December 21, 1859 – March 16, 1861 Sam Houston Democratic
8 John McClannahan Crockett November 7, 1861 – November 5, 1863 Francis Lubbock Democratic
9 Fletcher Stockdale November 5, 1863 – June 17, 1865 Pendleton Murrah Democratic
— Vacant Vacant June 17, 1865 – August 9, 1866 Fletcher Stockdale
Andrew Jackson Hamilton		   –
10 George Washington Jones[lower-alpha 3] August 9, 1866 – July 30, 1867 James W. Throckmorton Democratic
— Vacant Vacant July 30, 1867 – January 8, 1870 Elisha M. Pease   –
—[lower-alpha 4] James W. Flanagan January 8, 1870 – February 24, 1870 Edmund J. Davis Republican
— Vacant Vacant[lower-alpha 5] February 24, 1870 – January 15, 1874 Edmund J. Davis   –
11 Richard B. Hubbard January 15, 1874 – December 1, 1876 Richard Coke Democratic
— Vacant Vacant[lower-alpha 6] December 1, 1876 – January 21, 1879 Richard B. Hubbard   –
12 Joseph Draper Sayers January 21, 1879 – January 18, 1881 Oran Milo Roberts Democratic
13 Leonidas Jefferson Storey January 18, 1881 – January 16, 1883 Oran Milo Roberts Democratic
14 Francis Marion Martin January 16, 1883 – January 20, 1885 John Ireland Democratic
15 Barnett Gibbs January 20, 1885 – January 19, 1887 John Ireland Democratic
16 Thomas Benton Wheeler January 19, 1887 – January 21, 1891 Lawrence Sullivan Ross Democratic
17 George C. Pendleton January 21, 1891 – January 17, 1893 Jim Hogg Democratic
18 Martin McNulty Crane January 17, 1893 – January 15, 1895 Jim Hogg Democratic
19 George Taylor Jester January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899 Charles Allen Culberson Democratic
20 James Browning January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903 Joseph D. Sayers Democratic
21 George D. Neal January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907 S. W. T. Lanham Democratic
22 Asbury Bascom Davidson January 15, 1907 – January 21, 1913 Thomas Mitchell Campbell
Oscar Branch Colquitt		 Democratic
23 William Harding Mayes January 21, 1913 – August 14, 1914 Oscar Branch Colquitt Democratic
— Vacant Vacant August 14, 1914 – January 19, 1915 Oscar Branch Colquitt   –
24 William P. Hobby Sr. January 19, 1915 – August 25, 1917 James E. Ferguson Democratic
— Vacant Vacant August 25, 1917 – January 21, 1919 William P. Hobby   –
25 Willard Arnold Johnson January 21, 1919 – January 18, 1921 William P. Hobby Democratic
26 Lynch Davidson January 18, 1921 – January 16, 1923 Pat Morris Neff Democratic
27 Thomas Whitfield Davidson January 16, 1923 – January 20, 1925 Pat Morris Neff Democratic
28 Barry Miller January 20, 1925 – January 20, 1931 Miriam A. Ferguson
Dan Moody		 Democratic
29 Edgar E. Witt January 20, 1931 – January 15, 1935 Ross S. Sterling
Miriam A. Ferguson		 Democratic
30 Walter Frank Woodul January 15, 1935 – January 17, 1939 James V. Allred Democratic
31 Coke R. Stevenson January 17, 1939 – August 4, 1941 W. Lee O'Daniel Democratic
— Vacant Vacant August 4, 1941 – January 19, 1943 Coke R. Stevenson   –
32 John Lee Smith January 19, 1943 – January 21, 1947 Coke R. Stevenson
Beauford H. Jester		 Democratic
33 Allan Shivers January 21, 1947 – July 11, 1949 Beauford H. Jester Democratic
— Vacant Vacant July 11, 1949 – January 16, 1951 Allan Shivers   –
34 Ben Ramsey January 16, 1951 – September 18, 1961 Allan Shivers
Price Daniel		 Democratic
— Vacant Vacant September 18, 1961 – January 15, 1963 Price Daniel   –
35 Preston Smith January 15, 1963 – January 21, 1969 John Connally Democratic
36 Ben Barnes January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973 Preston Smith Democratic
37 William P. Hobby Jr. January 16, 1973 – January 15, 1991 Dolph Briscoe (Democratic)
Bill Clements (Republican)
Mark White (Democratic)
Bill Clements (Republican)		 Democratic
38 Bob Bullock January 15, 1991 – January 19, 1999 Ann Richards (Democratic)
George W. Bush (Republican)		 Democratic
39 Rick Perry[lower-alpha 7] January 19, 1999 – December 21, 2000 George W. Bush Republican
40 Bill Ratliff[lower-alpha 8] December 28, 2000 – January 21, 2003 Rick Perry Republican
41 David Dewhurst January 21, 2003 – January 20, 2015 Rick Perry Republican
42 Dan Patrick January 20, 2015 – present Greg Abbott Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ Horton served as Governor pro tempore during James Pinckney Henderson's absence from May 19 to November 13, 1846.
  2. ↑ Henderson vacated the office on November 23, 1853 to succeed Peter Hansborough Bell as Governor. Senate president pro tempore Taylor filled the vacancy for roughly a month before Dickson was sworn into office.
  3. ↑ Jones was removed by General Philip Sheridan, commander of the Fifth Military District during Reconstruction and the office remained vacant until the 14th Legislature in 1874.
  4. ↑ Flanagan was elected lieutenant governor in 1869 but was not inaugurated. He presided over the Provisional session, but left office after being selected as an at-large representative to the U.S. Congress. Due to this, Flanagan is often omitted from some lists of Lieutenant Governors.
  5. ↑ Donald Campbell, Webster Flanagan, Albert Jennings Fountain, and Edward Bradford Pickett all served as ex officio Lieutenant Governors between Flanagan's and Hubbard's terms.
  6. ↑ Senate president pro tempore Wells Thompson filled in for the vacancy.
  7. ↑ Perry vacated the office when he succeeded George W. Bush as Governor of Texas on December 21, 2000.
  8. ↑ Ratliff was chosen by the Texas Senate to finish the unexpired term due to the vacancy of Rick Perry's succession to the Governorship. Ratliff served until David Dewhurst was elected in 2002 and inaugurated on January 21, 2003.

References

Source:[2]

References

  1. ↑ Lieutenant Governor from the Handbook of Texas Online
  2. ↑ "Lieutenant Governors of Texas, 1846 - present".
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